Perhaps it is comforting for many to know that forces of nature do not stop at celebrities like Jay Z, Beyoncé and Rupert Murdoch. The Nobel quarter Bel Air in Los Angeles got in headlines in past few days, because some houses were victims of flames. Much worse, however, fires rage north-west of Los Angeles, in coastal towns of Ventura and Oxnard. About 300 houses burned down, settlements in which around 200,000 people live were evacuated.
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ !window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile8’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile8’; elem.className = “ad ad-desktop ad-desktop–8 ad-desktop–8-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘desktop’); elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-label’, ‘Anzeige’); document.getElementById(‘ad-desktop-8’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile8’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 8 desktop’) } } } if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile3’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile3’; elem.className = “ad ad-mobile ad-mobile–3 ad-mobile–3-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘mobile’); document.getElementById(‘ad-mobile-3’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile3’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 3 mobile’) } } }
The television pictures are a déjà-vu of what happened two months ago in Norrn California, in wine-growing region of Sonoma: The people were partly surprised by fire roller, which was driven by strong winds in middle of night. In current case of hot dry Santa Ana winds, also called devil winds, which blow from high-situated large basin in states of Utah and Nevada towards coast.
And so, in addition to wind, in both cases, two or factors that lead to a forest Brandkatastrophe were comparable: first a lot of fuel material. In first months of year, large amounts of rain had caused a vigorous vegetation, enthusiastically greeted by Californians after a five-year drought. But since May, it has not rained in south of state, so that freshly-grounded trees and grasses became dry as y were. Second, it needs a spark-and it usually comes from humans. In untouched nature it burns considerably less than in populated areas, and similar to north, population in greater Los Angeles region has grown steadily over past decades and has until n untouched land occupied.
View from ISS space Station on California’s coast: Strong winds have ignited fires. © NASA/Planet Pix via Zuma wire/DPA It burns straight to untimely fire in California
Current hot spots on US west coast near Los Angeles
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (status: 08.12.2017) Time Online window.Zeit.require([‘//interactive.zeit.de/karten-editor/v9/static/js/embed.js’]);
There is a big difference: while fires in north were an extreme event in usual forest fire season, it is now actually burning in Los Angeles. Normally fire season ends in October, n first precipitations of winter rains are coming. In Norrn California, rainfall actually extinguished last fires, but in South this winter re was no drop. This is point at which popular question reappears: Is this a consequence of climate change? This is, of course, even hotter in US than in or countries, because a climate change skeptic is now leading environmental authority.
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ !window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile4’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile4’; elem.className = “ad ad-desktop ad-desktop–4 ad-desktop–4-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘desktop’); elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-label’, ‘Anzeige’); document.getElementById(‘ad-desktop-4’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile4’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 4 desktop’) } } } if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile4’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile4’; elem.className = “ad ad-mobile ad-mobile–4 ad-mobile–4-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘mobile’); document.getElementById(‘ad-mobile-4’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile4’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 4 mobile’) } } }
It was a strange coincidence that just on Monday of this week an article appeared in magazine Nature Communications (Cvijanovic et al., 2017), which provided new arguments for connection between global climate change and local wear. The authors at North Pole found cause of great drought, which is haunted by California more and more frequently. They investigated how shrinking of Arctic ice, which we have seen in recent years, affects winds and thus precipitation in California.
What happens in Arctic does not remain in Arctic. Cvijanovic et al.
In ir simulations, researchers found a long chain of causes and effects: In Arctic, more heat is radiated into atmosphere. There is an increased flow of air towards tropics, where water temperatures rise. In turn, water masses mentioned by researchers Rossby Norrn Pacific, where a high-pressure ridge forms. And on its eastern side are strong winds, with which rain clouds, which orwise bring California coveted wintry precipitation, are routed furr north. In Canada and Alaska It rains while California remains dry.
California forest fires destroy hundreds of houses nearly 100,000 acres have destroyed forest fires since beginning of week. More than 200,000 people had to flee so far. © Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters
The authors do not operate black and white painting. They do not claim that drought of recent years has been a consequence of this mechanism, ir prognosis is more likely for coming decade. And paradoxically, scenario can turn back when Earth continues to heat up and Antarctic ice melts.
However, study shows that local impacts of climate change, in this case melting ice, can have surprising effects in a faraway region. Or, as authors write in ir study, “What happens in Arctic does not remain in Arctic.” The Californians must be prepared for more hot and dry years. And next fire roller is destined.
